jgibeault

Outside of the entrance to Tayrona, we set to work trying to figure out how to get to our fancy hotel that we had booked in Barlovento. We new it was close, but we didn't have a good map. There were some taxi drivers that wanted to charge us an exorbitant 40,000 pesos, so I phoned the hotel and asked them the best way. They said it was just as easy as catching any bus heading east and telling them you were going to Barlovento, and the drivers all new it. And it was just that easy. After getting off the bus, it was a short 10 minute walk down a quiet lane to the hotel known as Barlovento. Lonely planet describes this as the “single most beautiful place to hang your hat in the area ... read more

We took a bicycle taxi to the bus station to save some walking. It only cost us 6000 pesos instead of the10000 it cost to get into town. Prices may vary... We bought tickets to Santa Marta on direct bus, but the six hour bus ride took eight hours, which is the norm for Colombia... On the bus we bought arepa with egg from one of the many vendors that got on at one of the stops, and it was delicious. We should have bought more bus snacks on this trip. There's really no downside. We took a taxi to Hotel Miami and got a room. One of the staff had a huge Great Dane that was super friendly. I don't think dogs that big really know how big they really are. We needed food so ... read more

At the airport just outside of Medellin, we checked in for flight to Cartagena. I'm usually not fond of flying during a trip, because I like seeing the countryside in between place, but after some 12-16 hour bus trips already, flying seemed pretty attractive. And Mauricio had advised us to fly to the coast because the scenery along the way doesn't vary much. And a 1 hour flight in place of a 14 hour bus ride seems like a good decision, especially considering, the cost of flying domestically within Colombia is not much higher than taking the bus. Inside security we found the Avianca lounge. Oh the perks of Star Alliance Gold membership! I only had to fly 50,000 miles in the last year to get it... Thanks, work! This is the reward for all those ... read more

After breakfast at the cafe down the road from our hostel in Pereira, we prepared for another long day on buses. We took a taxi to the bus terminal, and our taxi driver was a pretty funny guy. He kept razzing other taxi drivers. They didn't find it quite as funny as he (or we) did. We drove past a dog walker with about six dogs, and he shook his head and said, “No no no no no...” Not for any money would he do that job. Well, mayb... no no no no no. Our bus to Medellin was a nice big bus. I slept for about 4.5 out of the 5.5 hours. And there were some windy roads so that was no small feat. I got woken up at rest stop and had to get ... read more

Salento is a cute little town. We got off the bus at the busy plaza with lots of outdoor restaurants. There's no question that tourism is the main industry here (mostly Colombian tourists) but this place has some draw cards. There's coffee plantations you can visit, and a beautiful hike through La Valle Cocora. That was our mission. We wanted to stay at a place called the Plantation House right on the edge of town, and it was pretty darn quiet out there. They had space for us, so we found beds on the first try and didn't have to wander around much. And this place was going to be a nice quiet retreat, and a big change from the congestion of San Gil. The hostel also has two rough collies that are really lovable and ... read more